Galaxy Note 6 vs. iPhone 7 Plus: The Battle Of Camera Sensors

Apple’s iPhone 7 and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 6 are two of the most anticipated devices of the year. Following the grand success of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung is doing everything it can to ensure that the Note 6 replicates the success of S7. The Korean company is also planning to launch the Note 6 one or two months ahead of the iPhone 7 to steal some market share from Apple.

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Galaxy Note 6 to feature a DSLR-like camera

Rumors and leaks suggest that both the Galaxy Note 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus will focus heavily on camera. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said several times in the last few months that the iPhone 7 Plus will feature a dual camera sensor. Samsung has also learned that the megapixel count alone is not enough to improve the image quality. That’s why the company’s Galaxy S7 comes with only 12MP, but with improvements in other areas.

Sources familiar with the matter told PhotoRumors last month that Samsung had moved staff from its core NX camera department to the smartphone camera unit. The publication added that the Korean company was developing a massive camera with a 1/1.7-inch sensor and f/1.4 aperture. If incorporated in the Galaxy Note 6, it will bridge the gap between a smartphone camera and DSLR.

iPhone 7 to have a dual-camera setup

However, such a camera module wouldn’t fit in the design of a device like Galaxy S7 or Galaxy Note 6 unless the design is significantly overhauled. A 1/1.7-inch camera module would be just too big for a normal smartphone. According to Forbes, a 1/1.7-inch sensor and f/1.4 lens would make the Note 6 as bulbous as the Nokia 808.

But Apple will reportedly increase the total sensor surface area by incorporating multiple camera sensors. The iPhone 7 Plus is said to have a dual-camera setup to improve the image quality, especially in low-light conditions. It is still unclear how the dual-camera system in the iPhone 7 Plus would work. However, a recent patent granted to Apple suggests that it will include a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens that work in tandem.